1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variety of network server systems existing on networks, and to a load test execution apparatus and a system thereof that are capable of executing a performance test for a load of accesses from client terminals.
2. Related Background Art
With developments of the network technologies over the recent years, there increase applications actualized in the form of server/client systems on the networks. A test for this type of application, unlike the conventional standalone type application, requires a inspection of the whole system including the network in order to measure a performance thereof and detect a bottleneck thereof, and is therefore very hard to perform.
For the purpose described above, a conventional system for testing the load on the network server involves preparing actually a plurality of client terminals, setting individual network addresses to the respective client terminals, then executing a client application and generating a load by actually accessing the server.
Further, in some of the load test tools, a plurality of client processes are generated on one single terminal, and accesses to the server are thus generated. Each client process, however, executes accessing the server by use of the same network address in all cases, and is therefore incapable of simulating the accesses with a fidelity from the plurality of client terminals each having an actual unique network address.
Moreover, if a multihoming function incorporated into operating systems such as UNIX, Windows and so on is utilized, a plurality of addresses can be given on one single terminal. There is also a load test system capable of having a test object server accessed in a way that provide a unique address for every client module by utilizing this multihoming function.
On the other hand, as for an access pattern, the conventional system for testing the load on the network server has hitherto used a method of previously recording a server/client access pattern, and thereafter retransmitting the access pattern from the respective rest execution terminals at one time, or a method of configuring a special test system specialized for a test object server.
Such being the case, an OS-level connection process can not be utilized depending on a network protocol on which each client module is based, and hence there was a case of being unable to utilize the multihoming function.
Further, on the occasion of setting the virtual address described above, there is a necessity of resetting the virtual address each time the test is executed, and hence there often occurs a case in which the network setting of the test terminal itself becomes troublesome.
On the other hand, as to the access pattern, the access pattern batchwise retransmission method described above is effective in a network server such as a Web server that sends a simple response back and is ineffective in a server such as an application server that sends a variety of responses back depending on server statuses, wherein the client must execute a process corresponding to each response.
Moreover, the above-described method of configuring the special test system specialized for the test object server is effective in a load test with respect to a specified server system, however, the test system needs configuring in the case of performing the load test on a different server system.